VACCINATION AND EQUINE DISEASES. 
763 
The principal objections brought to bear against vaccination 
are^ that it is not a preservative from the ravages of small¬ 
pox, and that other maladies of a dangerous nature are liable 
to be introduced into the systems of those who are vaccinated, 
either through some taint conveyed along with the matter 
used, or from some inherent and malignant equality of the 
virus itself. 
The first of these objections I have no intention of noticing 
here, as it lies more immediately within the province of the 
medical philosopher and practitioner of human medicine. 
The second, however, I would ask the favour of your permis¬ 
sion to examine, though only in so far as it has been attempted 
to implicate veterinary science in the agitation. 
Certain medical men, w'ho, from the position they assume 
in this anti-vaccination movement, and from the authority 
with which they speak, are no doubt regarded by a particular 
section of the public as perfectly competent to discuss and 
disprove the value of Jenner^s discovery, have boldly asserted 
on more than one occasion, that the increase of consumption 
in mankind was due to vaccination, and that the vaccine 
virus \vas derived from horses suffering from diseased lungs. 
For instance, at a conference on compulsory vaccination, 
held in the rooms of the Ladies^ Sanitarv Association, on 
July 28th, a Dr. Collins is reported to have made the fol¬ 
lowing extraordinary statement in referring to the evil effects 
of vaccination:—^^It was well known by expert veterinary 
surgeons, that JenneFs lymph was the grease arising from 
long-established lung disease in horses. Jenner saturated 
old rags with the matter from greasy-heeled horses, with 
'which he inoculated. This was the original source of the 
virus, which never arose naturally in cows, but was trans¬ 
mitted to them from the horse.^^ And this gentleman con¬ 
cluded by moving the following resolution:—^‘^That the true 
vaccine of Jenner, pure lymph as it is called, being the 
product of tubercular consumption or phthisis, carries the 
seeds of that disease with it,^^ &c. A Dr. Pearce agreed with 
Dr. Collins as to the origin of the vaccine of Jenner. It 
was the product of tubercular consumption in the horse.^^ 
If I remember aright, evidence to the same effect was 
given before a member of the present ministry by a deputa¬ 
tion headed by one or both of these gentlemen; and your 
impression of the 31st ult. informs us that at a meeting 
of the ratepayers of the Mile End district, held on the 
previous evening, it was moved that the meeting, being 
of opinion that enforcing vaccination by law is repugnant 
to the principle of the British constitution, and wasteful 
